'Phuchka na Jhalmuri konta khabe babu?' boyfriend to girlfriend...

'Ma, aj raate luchi r kosha mangsho koro toh' son to mother...

'Ogo suncho! Parshee Macher jhol e ektu jomiye jhal diyo toh' husband to wife...

Kolkata is famous for its rich culture and street food delicacies with a variety..for its people and their big hearts. I miss Kolkata a lot these days. Since last couple of months i was missing those Phuckas and Jhalmuri. One of my friend told me that day about The Grand Trunk Culinary Journey hosted by The Leela Ambience Delhi Convention Hotel. I heard about this hotel many times but was waiting for the right opportunity to visit. The Journey started with Amritsar, made stops at Old Delhi and Beneras and now it ends with the final destination Kolkata. I boarded the train and got down at the last station 'Kolkata' popularly known as 'The City of Joy'. 

 A lady dressed in red and white saree which resembles traditional bengali festivity style welcomed us with a smile. The ambiance was perfect with Bengali folk songs playing live in front of you. The surroundings were decorated with a hand driven rickshaw, small yellox taxis and Howrah Bridge miniatures. The natural fragrance of 'Dhuno' was adding an extra essence to the environment. 

                                                                          The chef Mr. Ashwani Kumar Singh took us for a walk to the food stalls and explained the uniqueness of the food served in brief. He personally went to Kolkata  to research about the food and specialities to make them. After the food walk we went back to the table and enjoyed the mouth-watering ‘Kolkata Phuckas’. And to surprise us, the taste of the phuchkas with the sweet and sour water took us back to the memories of streets of Kolkata. From jhalmuri to ghugni, singhara to fish fingers, kobiraji to illish mach bhaja, Chittal Peti to Bhetki Macher Paturi, the wide spread variety of starters and their taste grasped me with a bit of nostalgia remembering my mother’s handmade food. Among the main couse we had Biriyani, same old fragrance that you will find in the streets of Kolkata with Chicken Rezala. While there were plenty of choices, but Luchi and Kosha Manghsho is something that one should not miss to have. With rice we tried Parshe Macher Jhol and again it was something which every bong would crave for. Among the sweet dishes there were Langhcha, Rosomalai, Nalengurer phirni and Gujiya. And if someone gets a ‘Mishti Paan’ to end the journey, what more we could ask for.

The chef presented the menu with a variety of dishes for which Kolkata is popularly known. And he did a perfect job in choosing and making the dishes which will definitely give you a feeling that you are in Kolkata. The management and their hospitality  was very friendly  and helped us in choosing the best dishes.  With Poila Baisakh knocking at the doors, I think one irrespective of being a Bengali or not, if you are staying in Delhi or come here for some work or vacation, you must give your taste buds a try to these authentic Bengali cuisines available there. It will definitely give you the feeling that you are in Kolkata sitting next to your mom and having your dinner. 

Want to feel the essence of a wanderlust night that will take you to the streets of Kolkata and make you feel the enriched culture of Kolkata with ghazals, folk songs and stories to accompany with? Want to treat your taste buds with that taste of your mother’s hand that is lost somewhere in time? Want to save money to fly to Kolkata to enjoy the food? Grand Trunk Culinary Journey awaits your precious presence. Only 3 Days left to board ‘Destination Kolkata’, a train which will take you to the land of epic delights. The journey comes to an end on 16^th April,2017. Enjoy! :)